Colored Speckles For Use In Granular Detergents

Abstract

This invention relates to non-bleeding, non-staining colored speckles for use in granular or powdered detergents such as laundry detergents and automatic dishwashing detergents. The colored speckles are comprised of a salt or salt-containing carrier and a coloring agent and are characterized as being substantially uniformly colored throughout the cross-sectional volume of the speckle.

It is claimed: 
     
         1 . A colored speckle comprising:
 a) a majority by weight of at least one salt or salt-containing carrier material selected from the group consisting of sodium carbonate, sodium sulfate, sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium chloride, sodium citrate, sodium silicate, sodium stearate, sodium alkylbenzene sulfonate, sodium lauryl sulfate, enzymes, zeolite, clay, and combinations thereof; and   b) at least one coloring agent;   
       wherein the at least one carrier material and the at least one coloring agent form a carrier-coloring agent composite, and 
       wherein the carrier-coloring agent composite comprises a cross-sectional volume that is substantially uniformly colored by the at least one coloring agent. 
     
     
         2 . The colored speckle of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one salt or salt-containing carrier material is a compacted salt or salt-containing carrier material. 
     
     
         3 . The colored speckle of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one salt or salt-containing carrier material exhibits an average particle size of between about 0.1 mm and about 2 mm. 
     
     
         4 . The colored speckle of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one salt or salt-containing carrier material exhibits an average particle size of between about 0.3 mm and about 1.5 mm. 
     
     
         5 . The colored speckle of  claim 1 , wherein the coloring agent is selected from the group consisting of polymeric colorants, acid dyes, basic dyes, direct dyes, solvent dyes, vat dyes, mordant dyes, indigoid dyes, reactive dyes, disperse dyes, sulfur dyes, fluorescent dyes, inorganic pigments, organic pigments, natural colorants, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The colored speckle of  claim 5 , wherein the coloring agent is a polymeric colorant. 
     
     
         7 . The colored speckle of  claim 6 , wherein the polymeric colorant is characterized by having a chromophore group is selected from the group consisting of nitroso, nitro, azo, stilbene, bis-stilbene, biphenyl, oligophenethylene, fluorene, coumarin, naphthalamide, diarylmethane, triarylmethane, xanthene acridine, quinoline, methine, thiazole, indamine, indophenol, azine, thiazine, oxazine, aminoketone, hydroxyketone, anthraquinone, indigoid, phthalocyanine chromophore groups, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         8 . A powdered detergent formulation comprising the colored speckle of  claim 1 .